This Used to Be Us by Renée Carlino 

REVIEW: 

I wouldn’t say this book was a romance per say. I saw more of the negative aspects of the characters throughout the book and not enough of why they truly loved each other. There is very little happy moments between them, but a lot of bitterness. Sadly, I needed more than that. I wanted to feel they still love each other somehow.  That despite everything, there was still a spark there somewhere. The ending only added more stress to the story and I just couldn’t get it. All of this for an end like that??? So not necessary, it didn’t fit the kind of story this was in my opinion. This book wasn’t what I wanted at all, but if you are a fan of the author, you should give it a try and see for yourself how you will feel about Danielle and Alex’s story. I know it wasn’t one for me but it can the right one for you. 

There are two sides to every love story—and every breakup. Get ready for an emotional roller coaster of family, marriage, and divorce that will have you both laughing and crying, from the bestselling author of Before We Were Strangers.

After twenty-two years together, Danielle and Alex are getting a divorce. Once fiercely in love, they can barely stand the sound of each other’s voice. Instead of shuttling the kids between two broken homes, Alex and Dani decide to share a nesting apartment while swapping days with their two teenage boys at the family home.

In the apartment, Dani and Alex, on their own, begin to reflect on the last two decades—why they fell in love and why the marriage fell, spectacularly, apart. With the newfound space and time, they are given a chance to rediscover their autonomous selves again. They both get back in the dating pool. Dani finds major success at work as a showrunner on her own TV project, while Alex faces the challenges of a new relationship.

Still, they find that they just can’t stay away from each other, and somehow, the distance allows them to remember (for the first time in years) what each used to love about the other. When a family crisis draws them back into each other’s orbit, Dani and Alex are once again put to the test, which leads to a dramatic conclusion that will have listeners weeping.